DA's office joins growing ICE partnership network; Columbia Borough already took a stand

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY 

The Lancaster County District Attorney's Office has applied to join Immigration and Customs Enforcement's task force program, which would provide specialized training for one of its detectives, according to an August 15, 2025 LNP article. This move comes as part of a broader expansion of ICE partnerships throughout the county, with five other law enforcement agencies already approved for the program since the beginning of the year.

According to the article, Erik Yabor, spokesperson for the district attorney, explained that ICE officials reached out to encourage the DA's office to apply because one county detective already participates in the FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force. The office intends to train only this same detective through ICE's program, with no current plans to extend training to additional personnel.

The certification process requires 40 hours of online training and is limited to U.S. citizens with at least two years of law enforcement experience. According to Yabor, the purpose is to ensure the detective "has the knowledge and awareness of current practices so they can understand how to handle such cases as the need arises." Importantly, the trained detective will not be tasked with conducting immigration searches or raids.

Columbia Borough pledges cooperation
Last year, Columbia Borough Council passed a resolution pledging cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, positioning itself as a direct response to Lancaster City's "Welcoming City" ordinance. At the March 12, 2024 council meeting, a 6-0 vote (with one absence) made Columbia the first local municipality to adopt what officials call a "non-sanctuary" resolution.

Columbia Borough Council passed this resolution at its March 12, 2024 meeting. 

Council President Heather Zink said that while Columbia has been cooperating with ICE all along, the resolution serves as a public declaration of "where we stand." The measure doesn't materially change existing practice.

The resolution criticizes Lancaster City's February 2024 ordinance, which codified a long-standing policy prohibiting city officials and police from asking about immigration status except when required by law or court order. Columbia's resolution claims such policies create sanctuary cities that experience increases in migrant crimes and financial strain on social services.

Scope and limitations of local immigration enforcement
Borough Mayor Leo Lutz and Police Chief Jack Brommer clarified that Columbia police lack the authority and intent to engage in proactive immigration enforcement; officers cannot stop individuals solely to demand identification or question their immigration status.

Instead, the department takes a reactive approach. When individuals are detained for criminal activity, traffic violations, or outstanding warrants, officers may refer cases to ICE if evidence suggests undocumented status. Chief Brommer noted that such referrals "do not happen often."

"Our officers cannot just walk up to someone and demand to see their identification," Lutz said at the March 2024 meeting.

Regional response and political divisions
Oneunitedlancaster.com noted that contrasting approaches between Lancaster City and Columbia Borough reflect broader partisan divisions on immigration policy. Lancaster's council is entirely Democratic, while Columbia's is completely Republican.

Columbia officials expressed concerns about potential spillover from Lancaster's welcoming policies, worrying that immigrants might relocate to the borough for lower housing costs. "Lancaster city can't handle it," Lutz said. "They're going to spread out somewhere."

Lancaster City Council President Amanda Bakay expressed disappointment with Columbia's resolution, arguing it's based on misinformation about Lancaster's ordinance. She defended the city's policy, stating that "codifying that long-standing policy into an ordinance makes our city a better place because residents will not be afraid to report crimes or make other requests to the city government," according to a March 14, 2024 oneunitedlancaster.com article. 

Growing county-wide movement
Since Columbia's declaration, several other municipalities have adopted similar resolutions, including Pequea, West Earl, East Cocalico, and West Cocalico townships. This local trend is part of a broader trend of Lancaster County law enforcement agencies either joining ICE task forces or applying for training programs.

The debate reflects national tensions over immigration policy, with advocates arguing that sanctuary cities do not experience higher crime rates, while opponents say that noncitizens account for a disproportionate number of federal criminal arrests.

[Sources: LancasterOnline, OneUnitedLancaster, Columbia Spy]